


A Little Rush of Blood

by ilerya82



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Manipulation, Mental Anguish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-14
Updated: 2015-06-14
Packaged: 2018-04-04 07:16:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4129420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilerya82/pseuds/ilerya82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes things don't come back the way you think they should...</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Little Rush of Blood

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the cs writing challenge on tumblr.

They were walking down Main Street arm in arm.  Emma laughed, leaning her head against Killian’s shoulder as he regaled her with tales of her son’s latest sailing adventures and his new found proficiency with knots of all shapes and sizes.  Henry had been tying knots in everything he could get his hands on lately.

“It was a terrible idea to tell him he had to learn all of the strongest knots by heart Killian,” she giggled as she remembered trying to slip on her favourite pyjama bottoms and finding that the drawstring used to help keep them situated about her waist had vanished.  In fact, every piece of string in the loft had vanished only to reappear in odd places twisted and tied in a knotted jumble on the dinner table.  It was getting out of hand. 

“He has to know the sturdiest knots if he wants to sail, love,” Killian playfully admonished as he pulled her hand up to his lips and placing a gentle kiss across her knuckles. 

_A girl could get used to this…_ Emma thought as she hummed her satisfaction.  It was easy to relax with him, he’d broken through every barrier she had constructed around her heart which hadn’t been an easy task.  She couldn’t fix on the exact moment when he found himself inside her safeguarded fortress, but once he was there she realized she couldn’t bear it if he wasn’t.  He belonged.   Just like her parents, her son, there was a place there for him in her life that she dreaded losing. 

But this wasn’t a happy moment; although it could have been.  Emma could see the ebony tendrils of magic creeping around them in her periphery, clambering up his legs and wrapping itself around his limbs in order to better reach its ultimate goal.  The darkness wanted her, and to have her it would have to break her will, she knew that now.  All that time locked in the prison of her mind had taught her that it wouldn’t stop until it had extinguished all her light, all of her happiness.  But it couldn’t have him – it could never have him.

She felt the magic pooling up within her, felt the light radiating through her as she pulled her head from his shoulder.  It was managing to creep in so much faster than it did before, poisoning every beautiful memory.  Taking those she loved and turning them against her, manipulating her memories and turning them in to walking nightmares.  She slowed her feet on the pavement, letting her arm slip from his grasp.  Killian turned to face her, but it wasn’t Killian anymore. 

“What’s the matter Emma?  Is this figure not more… appealing to you?”

It wasn’t Killian’s voice; it was a hollow mockery trying to suck her in to its claws.  The Dark One really wasn’t something any one wanted to see when there wasn’t a host body at home to contain it.  She’d been fighting so hard… For so long…

“Come now, Emma…  You know you can’t resist someone who’s this devilishly handsome.”

“Stop!”   Emma raised her hands focusing the flow of her magic, her hands glimmering white in the orange glow of the street lights.  “You’re not Killian – YOU’RE NOT!”

“But I am, lass… I am the _best_ version of Killian Jones.  I am the desperation, the vengeful spirit.  I am the cunning and ruthlessness – the selfishness.  I am the darkness, the blackened coal of his heart!”

“I’ve held his heart in my hands – it’s not coal – it’s brilliant, and true, and _human_.”

The Dark One revelled in this.  It was a complete mind fuck every time it invaded her thoughts, her dreams, and her memories. The more she tried to ground herself and remind herself of why she was fighting the darkness.  Killian was a memory she used sparingly, because she didn’t want to see him turn, couldn’t bear to see him turned against her.  He would never coax her to the darkness – he would always fight to keep her heart pure. 

“Emma –“

“You’re not him!”

“Emma!”

“You’re NOT!”

She closed her eyes, not to hone her power but rather to not have to witness the destruction of love of her life by her own hands.

“EMMA!”

 

* * *

 

Startled by the shaking of her shoulders and the urgency of his tone, Emma’s eyes shot open as she gasped for air and tried to launch herself from the bed.  The only thing keeping her grounded in place were Killian’s arms upon her shoulders.  It was a nightmare, it was only a nightmare.  This had happened more and more since they’d brought her back.  The first night, she had almost burnt down the loft believing that the darkness had taken over Henry and was sucking the soul right out of his body.

“Killian – Killian!  Oh God!”

She tried to slow her heart, tried to stop the tears that were rolling down her cheeks, but no relief would come.  She couldn’t stop her shaking limbs; she couldn’t get air in to her lungs fast enough.  Her breathing was a staccato rhythm as she tried to ground herself, the panic evident in every movement of her body.  Killian pulled her in tightly to his chest, his hand massaging her back in slow circles as he tried to soothe her terror.  He repeated the same thing over and over again, never wavering in his resolve to truly bring her back and make sure the darkness was gone forever. 

He held her until she stopped shaking and the slight rise and fall of her chest signalled that she was giving way to sleep again, never breaking his chant because that was what she needed to hear most.  His words tethered her to reality, to the truth, and to the light. 

“It’s alright, love, it’s alright.  I’m right here.”


End file.
